A few things to start your Griz day: Tale of two struggling point guards

Grizzlies guard Mike Conley drives to the basket as Casspi defends.
Conley tossed in 11 points to go with six assists, but Memphis’ two-game winning streak came to an end.

The Grizzlies own one of the three worst home records in the Western Conference and the Denver Nuggets have lost five games in a row overall. Both teams are out of the playoff picture and also have this in common: struggling point guards.

Griz floor general Mike Conley and Nuggets point man Ty Lawson are mired in shooting slumps. Perhaps the team that wins tonight following a 7 p.m. tip in FedExForum will be the squad that sees its point guard break out.

Conley hasn't been the same since returning from a left thigh bruise. He's averaged just 8.6 points on 23 percent shooting (30.7 percent from three-point range) in his last three games. Those are numbers well below Conley's season averages.

Lawson finished with 14 points on 3 of 12 shooting with 12 assists and 8 turnovers in a 105-89 loss Friday night at New Orleans. Lawson entered that game shooting 35.4 percent in the four previous contests. He's overcome a recent hamstring injury but is averaging just 12 points per game -- almost six fewer than his season average -- on 37 percent shooting in his last seven games.

Every game day we'll clue you in on a few buzzy items dealing with the Griz and their opponent.

Here are "3 Things to Know for Your Griz Day."

1. This will be the first meeting between the teams since a 2013 draft-day trade that sent Kosta Koufos to Memphis in exchange for Darrell Arthur and the draft rights to Joffrey Lauvergne (55th overall pick). Koufos has averaged 7.3 points, a career-high 7.1 rebounds and 1.07 blocked shots with the Grizzlies this season.

Arthur has posted 5.6 points and 3.1 rebounds in 18 minutes per game during his first season with the Nuggets.

2. Denver's five-game losing streak is its first since February 2012.

3. With forward Tayshaun Prince back from a sore left knee, Memphis may see some continuity in its starting lineup. The Grizzlies have not started the same five players in consecutive games since Dec. 13-15.

There you go. A sample of what you need to know to get an early start on your Griz day.